Some truly amazing serves for sure from Brakocevic, but their game is awfully predictible, putting virtually all balls to Brakocevic now in the third and she has started to get blocked down A LOT...its rare to see any player getting blocked down so many times in a set as her in set 4 here. I have lost the count personally.

Some truly amazing serves for sure from Brakocevic, but their game is awfully predictible, putting virtually all balls to Brakocevic now in the third and she has started to get blocked down A LOT...its rare to see any player getting blocked down so many times in a set as her in set 4 here. I have lost the count personally.

I'm glad both teams continued with their best line-up in tie-break even though Uralochka was through to next round after 4 sets. And they put up another marvelous blocking performance in 5th set

On the one hand Hashimoto ended up being too predictable and sometimes set too low and too close, but nevertheless Uralochka's block did a great job technically in terms of timing, positioning and arms posture.

Regarding the duel Ekaterinburg vs. Bukarest: the Tigresses lost this one already at home with a below average performance, and Uralochka could make full use of this fact in the return match today.

The only surprise result (in limited manner) was the defeat of LP Viesti SALO (FIN) against Kralovo Pole BRNO (TCH), because the favourited finnish team won the first match abroad in three sets against Brno, and lost at home against the Czech team clearly and also the Golden Set in the end. But Salo ist not performing at its best currently, because they failed in semis of Finnish cup against later (first time) winners and eternal rivals HPK HÄMEENLINNA already and lost that way the national cup.

I watched Bucuresti as well and felt so sad when they lost set 4 after being 1-2 3-8 up. Brakocevic had a 11 point serve streak which included lots of aces as well in set 3. it was 14-12 then 14-23 with Jovana serve. I would love to see Jovana again in big clubs